Kazuri Beads | Amani Ya Juu | Jacaranda Workshops | Great Rift Valley | Marina Lodge | Lake Naivasha | Country Safari Lodge | IDP Camp | Mwariki Village | Eldoret | Moi Referral Hospital | Amani Workshops | Tumaini Street Children’s Center | Neema Children’s Home | Lake Nakuru National Park | Lake Nakuru Lodge
Journey to Kenya and meet the local people through connections fostered by The Village Experience and Karibu Kenya Safaris. Make a positive impact on the community by helping to implement income generating activities, purchasing fair trade, and participating in community based tourism initiatives. Feel good about your stay as the hotels in the itinerary are owned and operated by locals and have a mission to give back to the community. Develop long-term partnerships with the organizations you visit and help to empower them through fundraising and awareness activities long after the trip is over.
Itinerary
Arrive in the bustling capital city of Nairobi. Transfer to Heart Lodge for overnight and relaxation after your long flight. Heart Lodge is the income-generating project of The Heart Foundation - a non-profit dedicated to community development throughout Kenya.
Today you will visit several self-help groups focused on empowering women and marginalized communities through fair trade. Begin at Kazuri Beads. Kazuri Beads has been in operation for more than 30 years and employs over 300 women. They create hand-crafted jewelry and distribute it to
retailers around the world. After watching the women create these works of art and shopping their
gift shop, proceed onto Amani Ya Juu for lunch and a tour of the workshop. Amani Ya Juu began in
the 1990's and now employs over 30 women creating wonderful fair trade items for both the local
and international market. Enjoy lunch here at their income-generating restaurant. In the afternoon,
proceed to Jacaranda Workshops. Jacaranda employs 40 local artisans with mental and physical
handicaps to create jewelry. Meet these artisans, learn the jewelry making process, and support them
by purchasing some gifts with true meaning. Return to hotel in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Begin the drive through the Great Rift Valley. Stop for lunch at the Marina Lodge and enjoy
a boat ride with the hippos on Lake Naivasha. Proceed to Lake Elementaita and check into Country
Safari Lodge for dinner and overnight.
In the morning, begin service project with the IDP Camp. Help implement income-generating
projects such as chicken coops, rabbit hutches, fish farms, and tree nurseries. Meet the wonderful
families living here and connect to them through hard work and sharing of stories. Enjoy a box lunch
while on site. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.
Spend today in Mwariki Village. Meet the women of Heart to Heart Women's Cooperative and Black Sheep. Learn about their fair trade initiatives, help them make product, visit their homes, walk through the village, and enjoy a meal with the women. You will be moved by the ambition and dedication this small village has put towards community based tourism and can feel good about your contribution to the village. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.
Transfer to Eldoret in the morning. Check into Poa Place Resort. Enjoy lunch at Cool Streams
restaurant the income-generating restaurant associated with AMPATH and Moi Referral Hospital.
Visit Imani Workshops in the afternoon to learn about their fair trade project. Imani Workshops
employs over 25 people living with HIV/AIDS. Watch as they create recycled paper journals, jewelry,
handbags, and ceramics and listen to their stories of hope. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.
Spend the morning with Tumaini Street Children's Center. Help to plant fruit trees in their new orchard. This orchard will house grafted tree varieties guaranteed to produce fruit earlier than
normal and larger in size to ensure income in the future. Meet the children being helped by this
center and hear their stories of life on the street. Stop for lunch in Eldoret. Proceed to Neema Children's Home in the afternoon. Neema houses over 30 young children living with or abandoned by
HIV/AIDS. It has recently opened a school to serve as an income-generation project and as a learning
center for the orphans. Deliver soccer balls and other recreational games to this center and help the
administrators take care of the children in the afternoon. Help with dinner and then enjoy your own
dinner at the center with the owners. Return to hotel in the evening.
Depart early morning for Lake Nakuru National Park. Stop for lunch along the way. Continue
onto The Lake Nakuru Lodge for overnight and safari upon arrival.
Early morning safari. Return to lodge for breakfast and relaxation time by the pool. Enjoy lunch at the lodge. Depart in the afternoon for Nairobi and enjoy farewell dinner before boarding international flights in the evening.
All our itineraries are tailor-made incase you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us
